THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 31 



e do seanathair-si do marb Cumall mac Trenmhoir athair Finn 7 is cumain leo- 

 san sin, gin cur cumhain leat-sa e.' 'Ga chluinsin sin do Cairbri ruc ruathar fa cath 

 na n-allmurach 7 do gabh 'ga slaighi 7 'ga sleachtadh, gur ba taebhtheascaighi treoin 

 da treas 7 gur ba mughaighi maithi da morghleo. Co tarrla chuigi fear feargach 555 

 forranach .i. Sligeach mac Senghairbh 7 ger i sin ba bhas urrlam 7 fa ecc obann 

 7 fa hoideadh airighi teagmhail rena comlann 7 tuairgis cach a chele dibh 7 do 

 congbhadar a n-da sciath ailli ilbuadhacha frisin aicill 7 do cromadar na haidhthi 

 arda oscurtha a crislaigibh na sciath m-br^acard m-bordchuanna 7 do imreadar 

 na lanna limta gur ba cliatha tolla teascaidhthi na taibh on trenurrlaigi sin * * * 560 

 [fo. 7 a. I.] leisna harmaibh si co Finn fo trath catha aniubh.' 

 Do ghluais imoro mac Eimin roime amail luas [f ]ainnli no feirbe no farainne no 

 mar sithi gaithi glanuaire ag rochtain tar ceann mhachaire no maighsligi co rainic fo 

 trath eirghi do lo co cuan Finntragha. Is i sin uair 7 aimser do bf Ferghus Finnbhel 

 ac gabail lama ar an fein dochum an morchatha ^isead adubert: 'A fiana Eirenn' 5^5 

 ar s^ *da m-beidis seacht samla anenlo agaibh, ata an obair aniub acaibh-si, uair ni 

 dearnadh 7 ni dingeantar a n-Eirinn co brach obair enlae mar an la anibh.' 



Ro eirgeadar imoro fiana Eirenn ann sin 7 mar do badar ann do conncadar 



not be better pleased with thy good luck in it than with that of the foreigners. For it is 

 thy grandfather that killed Cumall the son of Trenmor, the father of Finn, and they do 

 remember that, though thou doest not remember it,' When Cairbre heard that, he 

 made a rush through the battalion of the foreigners, and began slaying them and pros- 

 trating them, so that the sides of the strong warriors were cut by his onslaught, and the 

 nobles were destroyed by his great fight. Then an angry destructive man met him, to 

 wit, Sligech the son of Sengarb, and though it was ready death and sudden destruction 

 and certain ruin to meet him in combat, they both struck out at each other, and they 

 took hold of their two beautiful shields of many victories, and they bent down 

 their high renowned countenances from the borders of the variegated and lofty shields 

 with the elegant rims, and they wielded the burnished blades, so that the sides were 

 holed, hewn hurdles, cut open froni that powerful conflict * * * 

 .... with these weapons to Finn towards the hour of battle to-day.' 



Then Mac Eimin went his way with the swiftness of a swallow or a hare (?) or a fawn, 

 or like the gusts of a pure-cold wind coming over the top of a plain or of a field-road, 

 until, at the hour of rising in the day, he reached Ventry Harbour. That was the hour 

 and the time that Fergus Finnbel was urging on the fiann towards the great fight, and 

 this is what he said : ' Ye fianns of Erinn,' he said, * if there were seven equal days in 

 one day, here is their work for you to-day ; for there never was, or ever will be done 

 in Erinn work of one day Uke (the work of) to-day.' 



Then the fianns of Erinn arose, and as they were there, they beheld Mac Eimin in 



556. Sligach MS. 559. impeadar MS. 



